Zurich S-Bahn

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zurich Transport Association
 Zurich S-Bahn
S-Bahn-Zuerich route plan from the end of 2018
Line map of the S-Bahn Zurich (as of 2020)
Country Switzerland
Transport /
tariff association 		Zurich Transport Association
Lines 30th
Route length 380 km
Stations 171
Long-distance train stations 21st
Tunnel stations 3
smallest clock sequence 15th
Passengers 564,000 / day (2017)
Residents in the catchment area 2.5 million
vehicles - SBB:
  DPZ , DTZ ,
  LION trains ,
  Stadler KISS ,
- SOB :
  Stadler Flirt
- Thurbo : GTW
- SZU vehicles
- FB vehicles
- AVA vehicles
operator SBB , SZU , FB , AVA , SOB
Power system - SBB, Sihltalbahn , SOB :
  15 kV / 16.7 Hz ~
  overhead line
- Uetlibergbahn
  FB, AVA:
  1200 V =, overhead line
- FB on VBZ lines :
  600 V  = , overhead line

S-Bahn in Switzerland

A Re 450 between Fehraltorf and Pfäffikon ZH

The S-Bahn Zurich and the Zurich S-Bahn is since May 1990 in the entire canton Zurich and the neighboring regions circulating S-Bahn . It became the model for the S-Bahn systems that were later opened in Switzerland .

In 2003, the route network was 380 kilometers long and served 171 stations. The trains on the 28 S-Bahn lines were used by 564,384 passengers a day in 2017. The planning and implementation of the offer is carried out by SBB , Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn , Forchbahn and Aargau Verkehr on behalf of the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (ZVV), which is responsible for ordering services and financing.

The route network was enlarged in so-called partial additions. The previous final addition was the 2015 finished diameter line called direct connection from the railway station Zurich Altstetten about under the Zurich main station located new Löwenstrasse station and through the 4.8 km long Weinberg tunnel to the train station Zurich Oerlikon .

Lines and mesh

Operating concept

A RABe 514 near Felben-Wellhausen

The Zurich S-Bahn differs from many other S-Bahns in terms of its operating concept. In the literature, the term S-Bahn refers to a city train or a rapid transit train, some of which run on their own route. In Zurich it was largely decided to use the existing network for reasons of space and costs. When some lines and stations were expanded, the routes were separated from passenger and freight traffic as early as the "1954 project".

Since the introduction of the Zurich S-Bahn, lines with stops at all stations every half hour have formed the basic framework. In corridors that are in high demand, two lines overlap and thus result in every quarter of an hour from the suburbs to Zurich, but with the advantage that there are direct diameter connections to two other routes. Example: In the Zurich Oberland, the S5 to Pfäffikon SZ and the S15 to Rapperswil. This means that there is a quarter of an hour between Rapperswil and Zurich HB. At the same time, every 30 minutes there is a free connection to Affoltern am Albis - Zug with the S5 or to Oberglatt - Niederweningen with the S15.

A RABe 511 on a test drive between Winterthur and Kemptthal
Topographic route network map of the Zurich S-Bahn from 2016 to 2018

Some more peripheral areas will be connected to the city center by rapid transit trains. These trains will stop at all stations in the outlying areas, but only at selected stations in the vicinity of the city.

The operating concept of the Zurich S-Bahn offers many direct connections between regions and at the same time a frequent cycle to the center. The disadvantage of this type of operation is the very complex operation, which together with route conflicts with long-distance traffic sometimes prevents an exact quarter-hourly cycle, so that there is an unusual 12/18 cycle between Zurich HB and Thalwil.

Lines

The S-Bahn day lines run from 5:00 or 5:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. or 1:00 a.m. Sections in brackets are only served during peak hours, including the pure peak hours lines S20, S21, S23 and S42. The S27, introduced as a replacement for the omitted S2 stops in March, is technically neither part of the Zurich S-Bahn nor the St. Gallen S-Bahn .

Night network

Two double-decker shuttle trains ( SBB Re 450 ) occasionally advertised the night network

In December 2002, the Zurich Transport Association added the night network to its offer. The night network, which previously existed in a similar form within the city of Zurich, consists of nine night S-Bahn lines and 47 night bus lines that operate in the Zurich area on weekend nights and during major events. To use the night network, a five-franc night surcharge must be paid in addition to the ticket. Owners of a zkbnightcard do not pay this night surcharge.

The night S-Bahn carry SN line numbers to distinguish them from the actual S-Bahn network. The nine S-Bahn lines currently operate hourly on the night network (except for the SN Winterthur – Bülach).

The following relations, along with others, partly belong to the Ostwind night network, where the ZVV night surcharge is recognized (and vice versa, the Ostwind night surcharge):

operator

The Forchbahn on the Neue Forch (2007)

The lines of the S-Bahn Zurich are operated by six different railway companies, whereas the sole market responsibility lies with the Swiss Federal Railways. The railway company Thurbo , a subsidiary of SBB, operates the lines S26, S29, S30, S35, S36 and S41, which mostly operate in eastern Switzerland, while the Südostbahn (SOB) operates lines S13 and S40 in the Pfäffikon SZ area . The Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn (SZU) operates the S4 and S10 lines, which run from its own tunnel station in Zurich main station in the direction of Uetliberg and into the Sihltal . The S17, which runs from Dietikon to Wohlen , has been operated by Aargau Verkehr AG (AVA) since 2018 ; it was created through the merger between AAR bus + bahn and BDWM.

The S18 line is operated by Forchbahn AG (FB). It runs on its way from Zurich Stadelhofen train station to Esslingen ZH to the city limits at the Rehalp stop on the Zurich transport network (VBZ). In the urban area, the S18 does not serve all intermediate stops of the parallel line 11 of the Zurich tram . From Rehalp it then runs on FB's own infrastructure.

The S-Bahn lines not mentioned are operated by SBB.

history

Pioneer of the S-Bahn

The pioneer of the Zurich S-Bahn was the so-called Gold Coast Express. On May 26, 1968, the first Gold Coast Express ran between Zurich and Rapperswil via Meilen . His timetable was fixed every half hour and significantly reduced the travel time between Rapperswil and Zurich. The “Goldküstenexpress” got its name from the vernacular, as the right bank of Lake Zurich is often simply called the Gold Coast . After the Second World War , the former wine villages grew rapidly along the railway line built in 1894. The cities, slowly mutating into residential communities, quickly recorded an increase in commuters in the direction of Zurich, so that the capacities of the trains running at the time were no longer able to cope with the number of commuters. Commuters' complaints also increased because the train to Zurich was taking too long and was prone to delays.

From an overall concept drawn up in 1954 for the long-term development of the railway in the canton of Zurich, the project for the expansion of the 36-kilometer line on the right bank of the lake developed in 1957. Neither passenger nor long-distance freight operated on this route; the introduction of a supra-regional line without disabilities was therefore possible. Between Küsnacht and Herrliberg and between Stäfa and Uerikon, two double-track islands and new train stations were built. The key question was funding. Since the expansion of the Gold Coast route only served local needs and, above all, Zurich's settlement policy, the Swiss Federal Railways saw no additional income from this project. The SBB therefore provided for the canton of Zurich to share the costs - a completely new proposal at the time, since the Railway Act did not normally provide for the canton or the federal government to participate. By introducing a new law that solved this problem, the SBB and the canton agreed that the communities concerned should each contribute five million francs. The cost of the entire project was estimated at 72 million francs.

Historical picture of a Mirage composition from 1985

The most striking feature were the three-part, wine-red RABDe-12/12 multiple units used there from May 26, 1968 . The technical features were futuristic; at the time it was the first Swiss multiple unit to have extremely high acceleration and braking power, which immediately gave it the nickname “Mirage”. In addition to these futuristic features, the Mirage also had automatically closing doors, which enabled short stopping times and reduced travel times. With the Mirage, the sight wagon operation was introduced. Compartments were marked with yellow boards with the words "Regio". Those wagons were reserved for sight subscription owners and were only checked randomly by the train staff.

The travel time between Zurich's Stadelhofen train station and Rapperswil was reduced from over 60 minutes to around 40 minutes following the introduction of the Gold Coast Express . Today the journey time with the S7 line is 35 minutes.

Rejected subway

Planned subway network (1972)

In 1949 an initiative committee submitted an unsuccessful application for a license for a subway network. It would have been 90 km long and would have cost around two billion francs . Another committee asked the Zurich city council in 1959 with two motions to examine the construction of two underground lines (Enge – Kloten and Altstetten – Tiefenbrunnen) with a total length of 19.7 km. Since the city council had already had a study carried out with the same line, it recommended that the voters reject the project. In the voting campaign that followed, several sides described the project as “unrealistic” and “overwhelmed”. The vote on February 14, 1960, with 69.8% no votes, was clearly against the proposal. Based on two traffic reports, which had already been commissioned in 1952, the city authorities are developing the “Tiefbahn” concept, a network of underground tram lines in the city center as well as to Oerlikon and Schwamendingen . The 21.15 km long network should cost 544 million francs. On April 1, 1962, this project also failed in a referendum, with a rejection of 63.0%.

Based on an overall traffic planning that was subsequently carried out and presented in 1966, eight working groups set up by the city and cantonal authorities and the SBB developed a concept for the construction of a full-fledged underground network. The first line planned to be ready for construction should lead from the airport via Oerlikon , the main train station and the Stauffacher to Dietikon . Short branches to Schwamendingen and Kloten were also planned. This line would have been 27.5 km long, 14.8 km of which would have been underground. The construction of two more lines was planned at a later date. Based on new developments and a new traffic law that called for regional public transport to be promoted, the delegation of authorities for regional transport presented a subway and S-Bahn project in 1967. From Zurich airport, an underground line should run via Glattbrugg – Oerlikon – Hirschwiesen – Central – Hauptbahnhof – Stauffacher – Altstetten to Dietikon. The route, which ran on its own route, should run above ground between Opfikon and Oerlikon. The second part of the template was the «Zürichbergsystem», an S-Bahn from Zurich main station through a new Zürichberg tunnel to Dietlikon. With the construction of the underground station Museumstrasse, the government council hoped to relieve the main station. On May 20, 1973, the entire U- and S-Bahn package was rejected in the canton of Zurich with a no of 56.92%, in the city of Zurich even with 71.09%.

There were hardly any votes against the S-Bahn in the voting campaign. On the other hand, violent settlement and socio-political disputes sparked off in the subway project. SP Cantonal Councilor Franz Schumacher assessed the referendum as a rejection of the unbridled economic growth and said that the no only applied to the underground.

Coordination and construction of the core of the S-Bahn

Since public transport was given central importance in an agglomeration like Zurich and the railways were able to provide the necessary capacities, close cooperation between the Canton of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Railways - which owned most of the railway lines - was necessary. The SBB could not invest as much with their own resources as was necessary to solve the commuter problem. On the other hand, the canton of Zurich was not able to guarantee the required mobility if the facilities and services of SBB were not expanded.

East variant and today's core of the S-Bahn: The northern part of the canton is connected by the Zürichberg tunnel and the Stadelhofen station

The first step towards cooperation was taken in 1978 with the vote on the establishment of a transport fund. 40 million francs would be paid into this fund annually, which would then be used as the financial foundation of the S-Bahn. The route of today's S-Bahn was determined in a canton council debate on June 19, 1978. The question of “East or West” was open. The west variant required the connection of the northern part of the canton via Oerlikon, the east variant required the construction of the Zürichberg tunnel. In the ensuing vote, the cantonal council decided in favor of the east variant with 85 against 36 votes.

On November 29, 1981, a vote was taken to build an S-Bahn. With a two-thirds majority, the Zurich voters approved a loan of over 520 million francs for the construction of the core of the S-Bahn.

The new line leads from the main station through the Hirschengraben tunnel to Stadelhofen, where the line branches off to Tiefenbrunnen, and on through the Zürichberg tunnel to the underground station Stettbach with a connection via the Neugut viaduct to the existing railway lines in Dietlikon and Dübendorf . Under the existing main station, which is built as a terminus, a new underground station section with four through tracks was built (also called Museumstrasse station ). This made it possible to link existing suburban lines to create attractive diameter lines. The Stadelhofen station , which was largely designed by the then very young Spanish architect and civil engineer Santiago Calatrava , was expanded into an architecturally award-winning S-Bahn station. For the ETH graduate, this was the start of an extraordinary career.

The Hardbrücke station was also expanded outside the new line so that the trains in the direction of Altstetten could also stop. Simultaneously with the construction of the S-Bahn core, the Sihl Valley-Zurich-Uetliberg Railway from the Selnau station to the main station was also extended.

In September 1984 the electorate of the canton of Zurich rejected the construction of a university station in the Hirschengraben tunnel.

opening

With the opening of the S-Bahn Zurich and the underground S-Bahn station "Museum Street" was at Zurich main station opened

On May 27, 1990 the S-Bahn was put into operation. The most important lines were already running every half hour, with more to follow. The ZVV started work on the same date. For the first time, it was possible to travel on the S-Bahn, on express trains and on buses and trams with just one ticket.

Success was not long in coming. Although initially with "teething problems", the number of passengers increased noticeably. Since the opening of the S-Bahn, the travel volume has increased by around 60 percent. The range of services on the 380-kilometer rail network was expanded in several stages, and additional trains were added in the mornings and evenings that only stop in larger towns.

First and second partial additions

Quadruple lane expansion between Dietikon and Killwangen; the route runs along the marshalling yard

The chronically overcrowded trains on the S12 between Dietikon and Zurich made it necessary to expand the Limmat Valley. With the expansion to four lanes between Dietikon and Killwangen, a separation of S-Bahn and long-distance traffic as well as freight traffic became possible. The new S3 line has since supplemented the S12 every quarter of an hour. Thanks to double-lane islands in the Knonaueramt, the half-hourly service could be introduced on the S9.

With the second partial addition, a dense quarter- hourly service was introduced on the right bank of Lake Zurich (S6 and S16, S7 now as an accelerated S-Bahn). The new Glanzenberg stop was opened between Schlieren and Dietikon.

Commissioning of the night network

On December 2002 the S-Bahn offer was supplemented with night lines. The so-called SN lines were already so well utilized after their introduction that in 2007 the night network was able to cover the entire operating costs of the night network for the fourth time in a row. In 2007 this totaled 6.2 million francs. The SN trains run on the nights from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday, which guarantees continuous 24-hour operation on certain lines from Friday morning to Sunday evening.

Third partial addition

With the third expansion phase, which runs until 2007, the quarter-hourly service on the S-Bahn network was expanded further. On December 12, 2004 (at the same time as the first stage of Bahn 2000 went into operation ), line S3 was extended from Dietikon through the Heitersberg tunnel to Aarau; a new stop was opened near Mellingen . On December 10, 2006, after the completion of extensions in the Oberland, the S15 line between Rapperswil and Birmensdorf began operations. After completion of further extensions in the Knonaueramt, it was extended on December 9, 2007 from Birmensdorf to Affoltern am Albis. In the south of the city of Zurich, the Sihltalbahn was expanded to double-track.

On the rural access routes around Winterthur (S33 to Schaffhausen , S35 to Wil and on the S41 to Bülach ) every half hour is offered. The S8 was extended from Winterthur to Weinfelden. It supplements the S30 on this section so that there are two connections per hour. In addition, the S16 was extended every hour via Winterthur to Schaffhausen, although it only stops in Andelfingen and Neuhausen am Rheinfall between Winterthur and Schaffhausen . In order to take account of the urban development around Winterthur, the Winterthur-Hegi station was opened on the Winterthur – Wil railway line.

A total of CHF 200 million was spent on the infrastructure of the third part:

Fourth partial addition

Second diameter line with Weinberg tunnel

The fourth partial addition was the largest expansion of the Zurich S-Bahn to date. It was implemented in three stages from 2014 and completed with the timetable change in December 2018. The costs totaled around CHF 350 million.

During the first stage, an additional through station (also known as Löwenstrasse station ) was built under Zurich's main station and the connecting tunnel under the vineyard to Oerlikon. To the west, Löwenstrasse station was connected to the left bank of the Zürichseebahn and via two bridges ( Kohlendreieck and Letzigrabenbrücke ) to Zürich Altstetten station. The Weinberg tunnel, Löwenstrasse station and the connection to the Zurichseebahn on the left bank were opened on June 14, 2014 and the line to Altstetten was put into operation in mid-December 2015.

The lines from the left bank of Lake Zurich (Pfäffikon SZ – Thalwil), which go to Oerlikon or the airport, have been using the Löwenstrasse through station since then; the previous time-consuming hairpin in Zurich's main train station was eliminated.

In the second stage, new lines that share the new Löwenstrasse station could be set up, such as the S19 and S21 lines from December 2015. The construction of the new S20 line, which was also planned for the second stage, was delayed by several years because the residents of Feldmeilen resisted politically and legally against the construction of a required siding. The Federal Supreme Court rejected the appeal. Construction work began in 2017, and the S20 will start operating in summer 2020. Also part of the second stage were various extensions and platform extensions that allowed the use of longer trains.

The third stage brought from December 2018 mainly improvements for the region Winterthur. The new S11 supplements the S12 and thus provides a full-day quarter-hour service between Stadelhofen and Winterthur and between the Limmat Valley and Zurich HB. Lines that were still used every hour have been switched to half-hourly (many lines now run every quarter of an hour). The rest of the 49 Regio Dosto - compositions were delivered and put into operation. This means that 246 double-decker compositions are now in use for the ZVV.

Plans to expand the S-Bahn

Expansion step in 2035

It is planned to further expand the quarter-hourly service in the Zurich agglomeration. In addition, other new areas are to be developed in the neighboring cantons of Aargau , St. Gallen , Schaffhausen , Thurgau and Schwyz .

In 2019, the Federal Parliament approved investments of 12.9 billion throughout Switzerland for the 2035 rail expansion step. Various important projects are planned for the greater Zurich area, which will enable the elimination of the greatest bottlenecks and a further expansion of the service on the Zurich S-Bahn network.

The most important Zurich projects in STEP 2035 at a glance:

Inner and outer S-Bahn Zurich (S-Bahn 2G)

With the second generation of the S-Bahn (S-Bahn 2G), the ZVV and SBB want to double the capacities on the Zurich rail network in the long term and make better use of the existing infrastructure. The project envisages a system of inner and outer express suburban trains. The inner S-Bahn connects the city of Zurich and the narrower agglomeration belt and runs at least every quarter of an hour. The express S-Bahn serves all stops outside the inner perimeter and then travels without stopping to the important urban railway stations Stadelhofen , Hardbrücke , Oerlikon , Enge and Altstetten and Zurich main station . The rolling stock must be adapted for the S-Bahn 2G. According to the planning (as of 2019), double-deckers should run on the express S-Bahn, while new rolling stock will be used on the inner S-Bahn. The new trains should enable faster passenger changes, which speaks in favor of single-story trains. The ZVV is aiming for the first of several implementation steps in 2030. The Brüttener tunnel and a fourth track at Stadelhofen station are mandatory requirements for the S-Bahn 2G .

Considerations for further expansions

As expansion steps from 2040, those are conceivable that are already mentioned in the structure plan today, but are still a long way from a preliminary study. One example is the short new line in Illnau-Effretikon in the Riemenholz area, which would be between the Illnau and Kemptthal train stations. This would enable a direct rail connection between Wetzikon and Winterthur , the second and third largest rail cities in the canton of Zurich, without having to change trains . The expected growth in settlements makes economic rail operations on this corridor a conceivable scenario. However, an indirect operational prerequisite is the previous construction of the Brüttener Tunnel and the question of whether the bottleneck at Winterthur station can still accommodate any additional traffic.

Another variant to close the western S-Bahn gap between Zurich HB and the Furttal with a direct connection to the ETH Hönggerberg "Science City" location via an S-Bahn line and a tunnel station below the "Science City" was proposed in autumn 2014. The supplementary railway line, 4.25 km long, begins branching at the Letziviadukt and leads as a 3.5 km long tunnel under the Käferberg to the Aspholz area, where it joins the line to Regensdorf. This would reduce the travel time from Zurich main station to the ETH Hönggerberg from today's 25 minutes to 6 minutes. A holistic development of the Zurich university locations from the SZU S-Bahn station below Shopville to the Uni / ETH Center via the zoo to the Irchel University and then via ETH Hönggerberg and the Hardbrück station to Zurich main station would be combined with the branching off from the ETH Hönggerberg according to Regensdorf enable a load-dependent and demand-oriented supply of these future growth locations, which have already been planned in the planning, via the shortest possible routes.

vehicles

The S-Bahn Zurich is a heterogeneous network of regional transport lines under five operators, which are operated on the routes by four different owners. The route normals and vehicles therefore differ greatly in some cases; Specific S-Bahn vehicles were basically only available from the SBB, whereby double-deck cars as the original unique selling point of the SBB mainline trains have meanwhile been replaced by pure paintwork differences.

SBB double-decker shuttle train DPZ + Re 450

S-Bahn double-decker train ( SBB Re 450 ) on the way in the Oberland, between Kempten and Pfäffikon ZH

When it was decided to build the Zurich S-Bahn in 1981, the question arose as to which rolling stock should be used. As double-decker vehicles proved their worth in suburban traffic operated by the Nederlandse Spoorwegen and the SNCF , the SBB decided to use double-decker trains for the first time. The criteria - among other things, high acceleration, low maintenance costs and a luggage compartment of at least 10 m² were required - of 59 vehicles tested corresponded to a 100-meter-long composition with a Re 450 locomotive , a Bt double-decker control car with 2nd class seats, and a double-decker mixed car with 1st and 2nd class compartments AB and a two-story pure 2nd class coach B is best. SLM, ABB and SWP were selected to procure these trains. To make getting on and off faster, it was decided to raise the platforms to 55 cm. This enabled passengers to better assess the occupancy of both floors from the platform. In operation for the first time in 1989, the 130 km / h double-decker S-Bahn trains started their scheduled service in the spring of 1990.

The first generation of double-decker shuttle trains, often also abbreviated as DPZ, still forms the backbone of the Zurich S-Bahn. It is used on most lines. During rush hour, a maximum of three compositions are combined to form a train 300 meters long.

From the DPZ, 115 trains have been delivered by the industry to the SBB. In 2008, two trains were sold by SBB to SZU.

The trains were initially only equipped with ventilation. The windows cannot be opened. The trains have been retrofitted with air conditioning since 2011, the interiors have been redesigned and the boarding areas have been enlarged. The locomotives are going through a major overhaul with various adjustments. On August 28, 2012, the first completely modernized double-decker train was on the way. The renovation program not only includes this work, but also a new intermediate car with low-floor entry (NDW) will be added to each composition. As a result, they now meet the current requirements of the Disability Act and offer barrier-free access. The second-class cars that became redundant as a result were prepared for the HVZ trains in connection with the LION program . All Re 450s have currently been rebuilt, all low-floor intermediate cars have been delivered and all cars have been refurbished.

SBB RABe 514 double-decker multiple unit

SBB RABe 514 as S16 near Andelfingen

The RABe 514 double-decker multiple units (DTZ) were ordered from Siemens Transportation Systems in 2003 and were first delivered in 2006. With the low-floor entrances, the DTZ are wheelchair accessible. They are the second generation of double-decker trains for the Zurich S-Bahn and were all delivered to the Zurich S-Bahn by summer 2009. After initially only operating on the S14 on a trial basis, they are now also used in regular service on the S6, S8, S15 and the S16. Other lines are also to receive individual vehicles of this type later. 61 vehicles were delivered to SBB by Siemens.

SBB RABe 511 double-decker multiple unit

Stadler KISS

On 27 June 2008, the SBB ordered at Stadler Rail total of 50 six-piece double-deck multiple units of the type RABe 511 (up to 2010 by the manufacturer Stadler Rail as DOSTO later KISS called). These have been gradually put into service since spring 2012. The trains offer a total of 414 seats in second class and 112 seats in first class and reach a top speed of 160 km / h. The first manned test drive in Zurich took place in September 2011.

With this third generation of double-decker trains for the Zurich S-Bahn, SBB also procured double-deckers for regional traffic outside the ZVV area for the first time. Of the 50 six-piece suits on the first order, 20 were supplied with dark gray accent strips; In a second order, however, another 19 six-part models with dark blue ZVV accent stripes were ordered and put into operation by the end of 2018. Except for visual differences, the vehicles are identical and compatible with each other.

SBB double-decker shuttle train HVZ-D + Re 420

HVZ express train on the S11 Schaffhausen – Altstetten near Andelfingen

As part of the LION project (“Lifting, Integration, Optimization, Redesign”), new “HVZ-D” double-deck rush-hour relief trains were created with the 2nd class double-decker coaches freed up by the new NDW. These consist of six or ten cars and are coupled together with two converted Re-420 locomotives at both ends. These trains have primarily replaced the previous RBe-540 services. In contrast to the DPZ compositions, the installation of an air conditioning system is not intended.

Other operators

In addition to the main SBB network lines via Zurich main station, all regional train lines in the ZVV area have also been systemized and given line numbers. The largest block is made up of the former regional train connections from Winterthur, with a focus on the northeast of the canton of Zurich. These lines were integrated into the system as S26, S29, S30, S35, S36 and S41 and are ordered by the ZVV in the canton and outside by the neighboring cantons. Over the years, SBB has handed over the operation of these lines to its subsidiary Thurbo . This relies on the lines it operates now only the articulated railcar (GTW) from Stadler Rail from their "unity fleet" (95 pieces) a.

The standard-gauge SOB continues to operate the S13 and S40 as regional trains on its own route network and accordingly uses its own existing "southern network" rolling stock. In particular, the newly acquired FLIRT from Stadler Rail have been in use since 2007 .

On the former Sihltalbahn (S4), the standard-gauge SZU relied on its own shuttle trains from Re-456 locomotives, double-decker cars of the type SBB-DPZ , combined with older intermediate cars and control cars. These shuttle trains were later supplemented with double-decker low-floor wagons of the type SBB-NDW . Two complete, modernized “DPZ plus” were taken over in 2008 by SBB. On the other hand, on the former Uetlibergbahn (S10), two generations of direct current railcars from SLM / Siemens were used, and later, low-floor intermediate cars were procured from Stadler. The two-system railcars last purchased in 2013 are custom-made by Stadler Rail and can also be used on the S4.

The meter-gauge FB (S18), a mixture between an overland tram and a light suburban train, has its own, highly route-specific vehicle fleet, with two generations of "FB 2000" (similar to the " Tram 2000 " from VBZ) and " Tango half-trains " from Stadler Rail .

The meter-gauge BD (S17), which is now operated by the merged AVA , also has its own, highly route-specific vehicle fleet. This was modernized between 2009 and 2011 by Stadler Rail's customer production “ Diamant ” and standardized on one vehicle type.

Former vehicles

SBB commuter train RBe 540

RBe 540- "Sandwich" on the way as S11

The shuttle trains formed with RBe 540 multiple units occasionally consist of up to six A and B standard wagons of the (converted) type EW I and EW II lined up between two RBe 540 . This arrangement in the form of a "sandwich" enables energy to be saved and, at the same time, higher performance. On the occasion of the main R4 overhaul , the railcars were modernized. In addition to being painted in the color scheme of the “ New Commuter Trains ” (NPZ), they were given new interior fittings and exterior swinging doors.

In the early years of the S-Bahn, trains of this type ran on most S-Bahn lines. They were gradually replaced by newly acquired double-decker commuter trains, analogous to the RABDe 510. Due to the chronic lack of vehicles, these compositions can still be found every day, mainly on the peripheral branch lines and on turn-on trains.

Another area of ​​application for the RBe 540 pendulum are the so-called S-Bahn dispatch trains . These trains are ready with drivers at critical points, for example during rush hour. They can thus be called up immediately by the operations control center and sent out on the route. For example, they can be used to cover the rest of the train in the event of a breakdown or a significant delay in an S-Bahn train. You can then also provide the further service punctually in the opposite direction that the delayed train should actually run.

SBB RABDe 510 multiple unit

A modernized RABDe 510 in the Zurich main station Museumstrasse

Since the RABDe-510 multiple units operated between Zurich and Rapperswil in the 1960s as the forerunner of the Zurich light rail system, these multiple units were nicknamed the “Gold Coast Express”. One composition consisted of two 2nd class cars at the ends as well as an intermediate car with first class and a luggage compartment. Since all axles of these vehicles were powered and the multiple units also had high performance, the train could quickly accelerate to the top speed of 125 km / h. In addition to the high acceleration performance, there was also a high braking capacity.

Initially still to be found on some routes, the RABDe 510 only operated temporarily as S16, S21, S24 and also in other regions of Switzerland until the timetable change on December 14, 2008. With the delivery of the second series of the RABe 514, the RABDe 510 multiple units were withdrawn from S-Bahn traffic in 2008.

Maintenance systems

A number of parking and maintenance systems ensure the day-to-day operation of the rolling stock of the Zurich S-Bahn. Obvious are the facilities in the Zurich apron, which were able to carry out entire overhauls until the main workshop in Zurich (HW) was largely closed. Today, major maintenance is still carried out in Zurich, for which, in addition to the former HW, the new Zurich Herdern maintenance facility is available. For major overhaul work, however, the DPZ and the 540 pendulum in the HW area are separated and regrouped for the transfer to Olten (wagons) or Yverdon-les-Bains (traction vehicles). In addition to the free parking space, the DPZ in Zurich also uses Depot G (together with the ICN) as a parking facility.

The second central location is the Oberwinterthur parking and maintenance facility , which was built especially for the DPZ and houses a considerable part of the DPZ and the entire DTZ fleet. Due to the chronic shortage of space in Zurich, the DPZ-specific maintenance is housed in Oberwinterthur, including the groups for repairing damage caused by vandalism (damaged upholstery, graffiti ). Due to the high network utilization and the limited vehicle reserve, work is practically around the clock in Oberwinterthur, so shifts of entire vehicle fleets between Herdern and Oberwinterthur can be observed in marginal hours and sometimes throughout the night.

Other larger parking facilities are located at the Brugg and Rapperswil train stations , with individual vehicles also being parked at the end of the line. Since all of these locations only have open parking spaces, these are often a source of sprayed vehicles.

Accidents

Since its inauguration, S-Bahn train compositions have been involved in the following accidents:

On April 16, 1991 a fire broke out in a passenger car EW I in the Hirschengraben tunnel between Zurich main station and Stadelhofen. The fire had been set in the car by vandals. As someone pulled the emergency brake and the train came to a stop in the tunnel, heavy smoke quickly developed. 52 of the passengers who found it difficult to exit the tunnel were injured. It was only then that the Swiss public was aware of the danger of pulling the emergency brake on tunnels.

A serious accident occurred on August 8, 1992, when a train on the S5 line left Zurich Oerlikon station and passed a signal indicating that it was stopping. At the same time, an InterCity on the Romanshorn - Geneva route crossed the train station at speeds of around 70 km / h and a collision occurred. The InterCity was slit open at the side, which partially derailed it. One person died and eight others were injured, some seriously.

On February 2, 1999, a post office clerk died at Zurich Wiedikon train station in the derailed baggage car of an InterRegio Zurich - Lucerne when a S-Bahn (S-Bahn) traveling on the neighboring track in the direction of Zurich crashed into the InterRegio.

On February 20, 2015 there was a collision between a Zurich S-Bahn train and an SBB passenger train near Rafz . A passing Interregio-Zug Zürich - Schaffhausen crashed into an S-Bahn multiple unit RABe 514 , which was traveling from Rafz to Schaffhausen. Six people were injured, one seriously. The cause of the accident was the crossing of a closed signal by the S-Bahn.

The various accidents showed that the Integra-Signum train protection system, which was previously used exclusively, was not up to the requirements of S-Bahn operations and thus contributed significantly to the introduction of ZUB 121 from 1993.

See also

literature

  • Phillipe Cruz, Lukas Fischer: Leisure and hiking fun with the ZVV . Well on the way in the Zurich region. 1st edition. Edition Lan, Bäretswil 2010, ISBN 978-3-906691-47-3 .
  • Max Glättli: Project planning and construction of the Zurich S-Bahn . Ed .: Robert Fechtig. Stäubli, Zurich 1990, ISBN 3-7266-0021-3 .
  • Peter Güller: Spatial effects of the Zurich S-Bahn . Ed .: ARE - Federal Office for Spatial Development, DETEC - Federal Department for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication. BBL - Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (sales of federal publications), Bern 2004.
  • Norbert Hobmeier: The Zurich S-Bahn . Orell Füssli , Zurich 1990, ISBN 3-280-01763-7 .
  • Hans Künzi: Zurich's public transport and its S-Bahn . New Year's Gazette of the Learned Society of Zurich . Beer, Zurich 1998, ISBN 3-906262-10-3 .
  • Peter Schulijk: New double-deckers in prospect. Zurich S-Bahn . In: Lok Magazin . No. 261 . GeraMond Verlag , 2003, ISSN  0458-1822 , p. 24-25 .

Web links

Commons : S-Bahn Zurich  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b ZVV passenger numbers ( Memento from February 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ SBB Passenger Transport Division: Zurich S-Bahn. Facts and figures. 2003.
  3. ↑ ZVV Annual Report 2007 ( Memento from June 17, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF)
  4. ↑ Zurich diameter line ( Memento from October 31, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ Norbert Hobmeier: The Zurich S-Bahn . Orell Füssli, ISBN 3-280-01763-7 , p. 7 .
  6. ^ Robert Fechtig, Max Glättli: Project planning and construction of the Zurich S-Bahn . Stäubli Verlag, 1990, ISBN 3-7266-0021-3 , pp. 20th ff .
  7. ^ Norbert Hobmeier: The Zurich S-Bahn . Orell Füssli, ISBN 3-280-01763-7 , p. 8-9 .
  8. ↑ a b Night Network ( Memento of April 12, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) ZVV website; Retrieved September 4, 2010.
  9. ↑ zkb.ch: ZVV nighttime network ( Memento of 31 October 2013 Internet Archive ) website of the Zurich Cantonal Bank; Retrieved June 30, 2008.
  10. ↑ ZVV night network. (PDF (736 kB)) ZVV, accessed on February 7, 2020 .
  11. ↑ Hans Rudolf Ryffel: 100 years Forchbahn . In: Railway amateur . No. 10 . SVEA, 2012, ISSN  0013-2764 , p. 451-457 .
  12. ↑ a b c d The birth of the Zurich S-Bahn. In: NZZ.ch. May 26, 2008, accessed February 7, 2020 .
  13. ↑ a b Message from the Federal Council to the Federal Assembly on the granting of a license for an underground railway in the Zurich region . In: Swiss Federal Chancellery (Ed.): Federal Gazette . No. 39/1972 . Bern September 29, 1972 ( online ).
  14. ^ Hans Künzi: Zurich's public transport and its S-Bahn . Beer, Zurich 1998, ISBN 3-906262-10-3 , p. 44 ff .
  15. ^ Neue Zürcher Zeitung (ed.): Voting database . May 21, 1973, p. 25 .
  16. ↑ Zurich's U-Bahn dreams. NZZ.ch, July 30, 2013, accessed on March 7, 2020 .
  17. ↑ From the subway to the DML. NZZ.ch, May 27, 2015, accessed on March 7, 2020 .
  18. ^ ETH-e-periodica: Swiss engineer and architect - S-Bahn Zurich by Wachter, Hans Rudolf, 1990
  19. ^ Canton of Zurich: voting newspaper September 1984
  20. ↑ zvv.ch: ZVV night network 2007 ( memento from June 17, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF) accessed on September 26, 2008.
  21. ↑ Costs 4th partial supplement. ZVV.ch, accessed on May 28, 2020 .
  22. ↑ New S-Bahn for the Gold Coast. In: Tages Anzeiger.ch. November 10, 2016, accessed December 30, 2016 .
  23. ↑ Editor: Timetable change: Numerous changes in the Winterthur area. In: Bahnonline.ch. November 19, 2018, accessed on May 28, 2020 (German).
  24. ↑ Expansion step 2035. BAV, accessed on March 7, 2020 .
  25. ↑ Draft ZVV line network 2035. (PDF (206 kB)) ZVV.ch, November 19, 2018, accessed on March 7, 2020 .
  26. ↑ STEP 2035: The next major step in the expansion of rail services in the canton of Zurich is on track. ZVV.ch, June 11, 2019, accessed on March 7, 2020 .
  27. ↑ Expansion step 2035. ZVV.ch, accessed on March 7, 2020 .
  28. ↑ Stefan Hotz: The S-Bahn is becoming a fast agglo-tram. In: NZZ.ch. November 23, 2018, accessed March 7, 2020 .
  29. ↑ S-Bahn 2G. ZVV.ch, accessed on March 7, 2020 .
  30. ^ Tunnel station for "Science City". (PDF (341 kB)) In: adf-innovation.com. Retrieved June 11, 2016 .
  31. ↑ limmattalerzeitung.ch
  32. ↑ DPZ Plus: the backbone of the Zurich S-Bahn with even more comfort. In: Bahnonline.ch. December 8, 2011, accessed October 16, 2018 .
  33. ↑ a b Zurich S-Bahn: More and more double-decker DPZPlus in use. In: Bahnonline.ch. August 28, 2012, accessed October 16, 2018 .
  34. ↑ a b Sandro Hartmeier: New double-decker on the Zurich S-Bahn for the first time with passengers. Bahnonline.ch, September 5, 2011, accessed on October 16, 2018 .
  35. ↑ Old S-Bahn double-decker upgraded for 600 million. In: NZZ.ch. December 8, 2011, accessed March 7, 2020 .
  36. ↑ Dimensioning of encounter sections on single-track S-Bahn lines. (PDF (3.37 MB)) Technical University of Darmstadt, accessed on March 7, 2020 .
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on December 24, 2008 .